1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to external combustion engine apparatus and, more particularly to a closed cycle, twofluid, regenative absorption engine apparatus and method.
2. The Prior Art
Conventional external combustion engines utilize heat energy from a combustion source to vaporize a single working fluid and direct the same to a mechanical expansion engine where the thermal energy is converted to mechanical energy. Customarily, the working fluid is directed from the mechanical expansion engine to a condensing apparatus to condense the working fluid prior to returning the same to the boiler. It is well-known that a substantial backpressure exists in the system upstream of the condenser thereby substantially lowering the thermal efficiency of the system.
Dual fluid systems such as ammonia/water are well-known in the art and are used for various applications, primarily in the field of refrigeration. However, until the present invention, none of the prior art systems has utilized a closed vapor standard heat engine to convert thermal energy into mechanical energy wherein the first, working fluid is superheated and the second fluid has a relatively high degree of absorptivity for the working fluid so as to lower the backpressure on the downstream side of the expansion engine.
It would, therefore, be a significant advancement in the art to provide a closed vapor standard heat engine for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy wherein a dual fluid system is utilized, one of the fluids having a relatively high degree of absorptivity for the other fluid. It would also be an advancement in the art to provide a regenative absorption engine including apparatus for recovering at least part of the heat of absorption by regeneration. It would also be an advancement in the art to provide a regenative absorption engine wherein the working fluid is superheated prior to being introduced into the expansion engine. Such a novel apparatus and method is disclosed and claimed herein.